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From: wollman@hergotha.csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Nebula Finalists 1982
Date: Fri, 10 May 2024 23:06:44 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab
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In article <fv6t3jp0p8d9nsahpvgn83nsv0vbf11qre@4ax.com>,
The Horny Goat  <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
>On Fri, 10 May 2024 08:25:36 -0700, Paul S Person
><psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
>
>>>I thought the first of the May books was the weakest of the series and
>>>that they improved as she went on.
>>>
>>>For me one of the best scenes was the creation of the Mediterranian
>>>sea following the breaking of the rock formation of which Gibraltar
>>>was part (and the only surviving portion of the rock face) - which one
>>>of the main characters of the book played a critical part.
>>
>>I've encountered that theory before. Also applied to the Red Sea with
>>the Bab al-Mandab the result of the breach.
>
>Well I'm pretty sure the creation of the Meditteranean wasn't caused
>by a psychokinetic 21st century time traveller who went back in time
>and used his powers to break a critical rock face.

I would draw your attention to the first appendix to THE GOLDEN TORC,
"Apologia Pro Geologia Sua", which goes into what was known about the
era and the ways in which May intentionally fudged details to meet the
needs of the story.  (In a footnote, she also mentions the Great
Missoula Floods, which were much smaller events than the most recent
filling of the Med basin.)

And of course it was a *her*.

-GAWollman

-- 
Garrett A. Wollman    | "Act to avoid constraining the future; if you can,
wollman@bimajority.org| act to remove constraint from the future.  This is
Opinions not shared by| a thing you can do, are able to do, to do together."
my employers.         | - Graydon Saunders, _A Succession of Bad Days_ (2015)